Finding the Big Muddy

“So Jack, are you and your wife travelling anywhere this year?”

“No, we’ll just take day-trips from home—but I am taking a photo trip on my own to the Big Muddy.”

“Where?”

“The Big Muddy, in southern Saskatchewan.”

“Saskatchewan!  Why would you do that?”

“Well, it’s one place in Southern Saskatchewan I’ve never seen.”

“But, Saskatchewan!  Really?”

Many years ago, my wife and I were driving east along Highway 18 in southern Saskatchewan, on our way to Estevan, when we saw a sign on a side road that read ‘Big Muddy’.  For some reason I thought it was identifying some place across the border in the USA, so we drove on.  Later I discovered that Big Muddy, whatever that was, is located in Saskatchewan as well as the States.  Ever since then I’ve been curious to return and find the Big Muddy for myself.  This September I finally made that trip.

I headed out from our Cochrane home early one morning to get from the west side of Calgary to the east side where I could get underway across the Alberta prairies and into Saskatchewan.

At the town of Gull Lake, SK, I turned south toward Shaunavon and then east onto Highway 13 which is known as the Red Coat Trail.

That highway varies from a patched, uneven, sort of paved road with little to no shoulders at the west end, to a proper, fully finished, two lane highway at the Assiniboia end.

Here is the map of the places I explored near to Assiniboia the next day.  I drove east on Highway 13 then south to Willow Bunch, and then to Coronach.  From there I went east on Highway 18 to Big Beaver then up to the Big Muddy area.  I finished the day travelling back

to Assiniboia on Highway 13.

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Close to Assiniboia there are a significant number of wind farms with the familiar, huge, power generating windmills.  I wondered what was special about this location as the land around for as far as I could see was flat.  I’m used to seeing these power generating windmills on the tops of hills or peaks in the foothills of the Rockies.  When I headed out of Assiniboia that morning I discovered why.  The wind blows there almost constantly.  The wind direction at home in the Bow Valley comes almost always from the west, but this wind in southern Saskatchewan is from the south-east and it is not a gentle breeze.

A farm just outside of Assiniboia with just a few of the many windmill power generators in the area.

Looking south, a little further along 13, I could see why this area is considered part of the Rolling Hills area of southern Saskatchewan.  These hills are primarily shaped by glacial activity and look rather desolate.  What is hidden are the fertile valleys between the hills.

A section of the Rolling Hills of Southern Saskatchewan

Shortly after I turned south on Highway 36 I came to the village of Willow Bunch and was amazed at the quality of the land in the valley where the village is located.  The crops that came off of that country must have been good this year.

A farm in the Willow Bunch valley

I stopped at the visitors' bureau in the town of Coronach.  The normal tourist season was over so it was closed.  However, I was able to contact one of the staff on the phone and she came to the centre to give me some useful advice as to where to go and what to look for.

I stopped in the village of Big Beaver to get some local advice on the farm country side roads.  There were several local people in the general store so I asked my question.

“I would like to take these back roads so I can get a different view of the Big Muddy Valley from the west.”

When I showed them my detailed map, they were stymied.

“We know where you want to go, but our instructions will be confusing.  We know all our directions because we know who owns the properties in the back country and that’s how we give each other directions.”

Of course. My thoughts flashed back to my aunt and uncle who lived in the country south of Calgary.  That’s how they gave out their directions.

I smiled.  “I understand.  You’re right, I would probably be quickly lost in the back country.  Thanks anyway.”

“Good luck.  We suggest you take the road heading east until you come to the highway, then head north until you get to the valley.  If you see anyone around stop and ask them.  Hopefully they can give you easier directions to follow.”

I thanked them, and followed their suggestion to get back to the highway.

The valley was created over 12,000 years ago, when, near the end of last ice age a glacial lake dam burst and released a huge, violent rush of water, the result of which is the 3 kilometre wide Big Muddy Valley.  It is part of the Big Muddy Badlands.  This is a series of badlands extending 55 kilometres from southern Saskatchewan to northern Montana.  On this trip I was particularly interested in the environs of the Big Muddy Valley and the unique, isolated 60 meter high outcrop of sandstone and compressed clay called ‘Castle Butte’.

The Big Muddy creek flows out of the south east end of the Big Muddy Lake, which is alkaline, and becomes a tributary of the Missouri River in the USA.

The valley has many coulees and ravines that made good hiding places for outlaws, such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  They would then go back across border when it was safe.

The wide and seemingly never ending Big Muddy Valley with dry, natural grasses where cattle were grazing

One of the many ravines leading to the Big Muddy Valley

Typical Big Muddy Valley edge

Castle Butte

It was about 2:30pm when I started back to Assiniboia.  I had stopped at Bengough for lunch and ended up with a sandwich from Co-op.  The only place for a sit down meal in was the bar/lounge in town and I wasn’t interested in eating bar food.

In many of the small prairie towns, both in Saskatchewan and Alberta, I’ve found it common that there are no cafe’s, just bars and lounges.  These places are often only open from 5pm to midnight.  I think that’s because, during the day, the people who would go to a bar to eat or drink were out of town working in the surrounding countryside.

From Bengough I continued back to Highway 13, turned west, and made my way back to Assiniboia.

The next morning I was up early and got underway back to Cochrane. I followed the same route I was on when I drove to Assiniboia—West on Highway 13, through Lafleche, Cadillac, north on Highway 37 to Gull Lake and then west through a familiar route on Highway 1 through Medicine Hat, Brooks, Bassano and finally to Cochrane.

I did make a stop in Shaunavon and Medicine Hat for coffee breaks and snacks.

Jack’s Coffee Ratings on the Trip

In Shaunavon I found a new coffee house called ‘Meeting Grounds Coffee House’.  It is a true coffee house, with good coffee and espresso drinks, but very few goodies to nibble on.  That is exactly what I look for.  I had my regular latte and gave it a grade of 7 out of 10.

In Medicine Hat I returned to one of my favourite coffee houses outside of Calgary and Cochrane, ’The Station Coffee House’.  Again, this place is all about coffee, although they do have some nice treats and a simple sandwiches if you need some sustenance.  It is in an old building right in the centre of downtown Medicine Hat and the ambiance is wonderful.  Once again, I rated it 9 out of 10.

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Travelling on the Prairies

Driving highway 13 through the farm country of southern Saskatchewan I was, once again, consoled by what I saw.  Most of the grains had been harvested, but there were still many combines working fields and innumerable grain trucks on the road.

Approaching Cadillac the flat prairies to the north changed to hills and open valleys that are home to small creeks that flow deep in the Spring and shallow in the Summer and Fall.

This year, 2025, was a big improvement on recent years.  Production of all principal field crops is estimated to be a near record.  Across western Canada, overall production is expected to be 10% above the previous five-year average.

Highway 13 near Cadillac. (The minimalist end.)

I drove past the towns of Ponteix and Lafleche, each identifiable from the highway by their Catholic Church spires.  Those are two of the many Catholic-French communities that were settled during the early 1900’s in that part of southern Saskatchewan.

Pontieix, SK

Lafleche, SK

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I wish I could figure out how to describe why I enjoy and treasure my travels in southern Saskatchewan.  Some will quickly conclude that it is because I lived in Regina when I was young and that brings back good memories of time with my parents.  I’m sure that plays a part in it, but that is not all.  The country side seems familiar, even in places that I’ve never been before.  Also, it is common for me to meet people in Saskatchewan whom I like.. Maybe it’s something transcendental in my thoughts.  Whatever it is, I’ve learned that it’s good for my well being.

One of my 'good feeling' roads